Samoa: Actions Speak Louder than Words
NEWS STORY | UPDATED: October 8, 2009
PHOTO: Act for Peace/ACT International
GEVENA, SWITZERLAND — Upolu, October 8, 2009
When Victoria Lio Nansen and friends heard of the devastation wrought by the tsunami on southeast Upolu island, they had no hesitation offering to help. They left their village of Leauvaa on the northern side of Upolu for the town of Satitoa, one of the worst affected villages. When they arrived, the group immediately set to work, helping clear out damaged houses and ensure the local church was cleaned in preparation for the Sunday service.
“We came here to help the people and clean up the chapel for mass. We feel so sad as this tsunami affects all of Samoa,” Victoria Lio Nansen says.
The church sits on the shore of Satitoa, along the tattered coastline, where most people have moved their villages to higher ground inland fearing another tsunami will strike. These villages are wholly reliant on the goodwill of the humanitarian community and their local churches to meet their immediate survival needs. Most people are now left without work and are struggling to recover and rebuild their livelihoods. Pain and psychological trauma accompany their material losses.
However, Victoria and her friends epitomize the strong bonds of fellowship and generosity that bind Samoan society. “Works speak louder than words,” Victoria said. She added that “love is the best policy,” a reflection that will hopefully guide Samoa’s recovery from the dark edges of disaster.
ACT International members report that many Samoans have said they do not want to return to their coastal lands but prefer to move a short distance inland and build there. Most people are currently staying inland with relatives or under temporary shelter. Some people have begun building temporary accommodation inland but generally lack building materials. Access to land will not be a significant issue as many people living on the beachfront own plantation land further upland or are able to access land allocated by village chiefs.
People’s ability to work and earn a living has been significantly affected, particularly people in the fishing industry and small shopkeepers who lost most of their stock. The tourism sector has also been hard-hit with damaged hotels and fewer tourists willing to visit Samoa. Plantations for growing food have not been as significantly affected because they are located upland. However, clean water sources remain a significant problem as people move to areas without clean water sources.
When the earthquake struck and the sea receded, people knew a tsunami was coming, says Faautu Talapusi, of ACT Development. Local knowledge handed down from generation to generation is strong but this knowledge needs to be built upon. Although ACT members have not requested a coordinated appeal for the tsunami, they say there is a need for resources to be available for long-term rehabilitation, including greater investment in community-based disaster risk reduction activities.
